The present invention relates to car seats for infants and small children and, more particularly, is directed towards a cushioning device for protecting the neck and head of a child in a car seat against irritation.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Federal law requires use of car seats by infants and children under the age of four. Generally speaking, car seats are primarily designed to meet federal standards of safety, the comfort of the child is a secondary consideration. A variety of protective and decorative devices for car seat belts are shown in prior art patents, for example, U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,397,913; 3,957,282; 4,678,205; 4,693,495; 4,741,574; and 4,848,793. Children's car seats suffer from the disadvantage that the shoulder belts rub against the child and cause discomfort. The shoulder belts rub against and irritate the child's neck and shoulder area. Further irritation is caused to the neck and shoulders when the infant or child moves or tries to move while being restrained in the car seat. In such a case, the belts dig into and rub against the sides of the neck and shoulders. When the infant or child falls asleep, his/her head and cheeks rub on the top side of the shoulder belt, thus causing further skin irritation. In addition, the back of the child's head may be irritated by rubbing against the back of the car seat or the shoulder belt grommets or bushings in the back of the car seat. A need exists for a seat belt cushioning device which will protect a child against such irritation.